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"You deserve to be happy," I added sincerely.
"So do you," he replied. "So, are you going to see him?"
I blinked. I was so intent on Chase's face, I'd forgotten about Kris.
"I don't know. I suppose so," I said slowly and with less enthusiasm than I probably should have had. "That is what we did all of this for." I realised my hand was still on his arm and pulled it back.
He watched it all the way until I placed it in my lap.
"Yeah, it is," he agreed. "You should call him back. Make a date for tonight or tomorrow. He could be back living with you by the weekend."
I should want that. I should. But when he said the words, I wanted to go and hide amongst the racks of mint green apparel in the store.
"That sounds a bit too quick to me." I grimaced. "After what he did, I want to take it slowly. It'll take time to trust him again." If I ever did.
I sighed. When had everything become so bloody complicated? I knew the answer to that—when I arrived home early from that work trip. What would have happened if I'd come home when I planned to? Or if I hadn't gone at all? Maybe if my job kept me at home more, it wouldn't have happened.
"It's not your fault," Chase said, as if he could read my mind. "What they did is all on them. We didn't push them together. They had an opportunity and they took it. They can blame being caught up in the moment, but they made their choice. Now you have to decide if it's something you can forgive."
"I think you missed your calling," I said. "You should have been a therapist."
He laughed. "I don't know. My advice is usually pretty crappy. My love life isn't a model anyone should try to copy."
"Mine either." I picked up my coffee and sipped. It was half cold, but still this side of drinkable.
"Hawk," Chase said suddenly.
I glanced behind me, but there was no one there. "What?"
"Hawk," Chase said again. "Him and Bec. They're a better model."
"Oh." I gave a short laugh. "Yes, I guess they are. Maybe we should copy them."
Chase gave me a funny look. "Yeah, I guess we should. Do you know any cute journalists?"
I can't explain why that question stung, but it did. "I can't say I do." I swallowed down the pang of emotion with the rest of my coffee. "There's a nice, single woman in the publicity department, but I don't think Grace is your type."
He glanced toward his phone and frowned.
"She'll call," I said. I wasn't certain about that, but if that was what he wanted, then I wanted it for him.
"Yeah, she might," he said. "At least Kris did." Chase looked up at me and we locked eyes again.
"He did," I said.
After all we'd done to get Kris and Brandi's attention, I wasn't sure I would have felt bad if Kris hadn't reached out. Right now, I felt bad for Chase. He deserved so much better than someone who didn't adore him as a person. He was a good, decent guy. He should have a good, loyal woman. Someone like me. Not me, of course. We were friends and that was all. That was all it could ever be. It's not like he'd ever really go for an ordinary girl like me anyway. I should introduce him to one of the models. They were more his type.
I might set him up with one, if Brandi didn't call.
Why did I hurt myself with that thought?
CHAPTER 14
CHASE
"So, it ended well for Ashely." Ollie drew back his arm and launched the ball toward me.
I caught it and threw it back.
